Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the backbone of sustainable economies around the world. They create jobs, drive innovation, and energize their communities.
But any entrepreneur will tell you that growing and scaling a small business is hard. Hiring the right people, getting access to capital, defining your brand, sales, customer service, finance, legal - all of these dimensions of entrepreneurship are vital, and none are straightforward.
With our new We Are All Entrepreneurs initiative, HubSpot is partnering with nonprofits, universities and other institutions around the world to help business owners harness the power of tech to overcome many of these barriers.
We know that tech can be a game changer for entrepreneurs who want to scale. We also know that integrating technology into a growth plan can be costly, confusing and time-consuming. We Are All Entrepreneurs is a free program that helps early-stage founders make sense of their tech opportunity.
For our pilot program, we partnered with EforAll, a U.S.-based nonprofit that offers accelerator programs, business courses, and other resources that help small business scale.
"Partnering with HubSpot was a natural fit because we both believe in breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship,” says Ben Weigher, Corporate Relationships & Philanthropy Manager EforAll. “By combining our support for historically excluded founders with HubSpot’s technology expertise, together, we created new pathways for entrepreneurs to build the skills and confidence necessary for integrating technology into their growth plans."
“EforAll was the perfect partner for our pilot,” says Kaiya Salemy, Social Impact Lead at HubSpot. “They do wonderful work with entrepreneurs across the United States, and their focus on business development for early-stage founders pairs perfectly with our tech know-how.”
The pilot cohort comprised 18 founders who had previously gone through EforAll’s accelerator program. Spanning a range of industries and stages of growth, these entrepreneurs all shared a passion for the work they do, and an eagerness to understand how technology can help them grow better.
We structured the pilot around three core pillars:
1. Learn the fundamentals
We collaborated with Connectr, specialists in learning design and skill development, to shape content that was practical, accessible, and informed by the real-world insights of our HubSpot team. Founders got hands-on access to a practice HubSpot CRM portal, and step-by-step guidance on things such as building their ideal customer profile or setting up basic automation workflows.
2. Build real connections
Each participant was matched with an experienced mentor, and had access to a community platform where they were able to network and learn from other entrepreneurs.
3. Learn from experts
Weekly live sessions with expert guest speakers brought the content to life with sessions on topics including branding, marketing strategies, customer journey mapping, automation techniques and tech.
“The program stands out to me because of its focus on tangible learning, practical skills, and knowledge that I can immediately apply to my business,” says Celma Celveira, Founder of Cleaning by Celma. “If I continue applying what I learn here, I’m confident my cleaning company will grow stronger, more efficient, and better equipped to give my clients great service.”
The pilot surfaced important lessons that will inform HubSpot’s plan to expand We Are All Entrepreneurs globally, with more partners and geographies to be announced soon.
“When early entrepreneurs gain access, mentorship, and straightforward tools, their impact reverberates—not only within their businesses but across the communities they serve,” says Salemy.
Founders in Focus
Cathy Waiswa is the founder of Love Balungi, a natural beauty brand that offers vegan, small-batch skincare for sensitive skin. She started Love Balungi to honor her late mother and share her story through the products she inspired. We Are All Entrepreneurs was an opportunity for Cathy to grow as a founder and learn how to more intentionally leverage tech to move her business forward.
“One key takeaway for me was learning about the Content Remix tool. I was so excited to learn from my mentor that you could use old content and turn it into fresh posts for social media. That feature is so helpful for a small business like mine. It saves time and helps me stay consistent without always having to start from scratch.”
LaceLayer is a lace wig product brand, founded by Arlene Baldwin, that provides reliable adhesives, sprays, and wig care products that restore confidence for wig wearers. With LaceLayer approaching a 5-year anniversary this September and looking for ways to expand its business model, Arlene joined We Are All Entrepreneurs to explore how technology could support her next stage of growth.
“One of the most exciting takeaways for me was discovering how HubSpot could transform the way we manage and grow relationships,” she says. “This summer I tested adding contacts and saw how powerful the platform can be for building a strong network of business connections. Starting this fall, I’m eager to put what I’ve learned into action as we test our new B2B model. Having these tools in place gives me confidence that we’re setting LaceLayer up for long-term growth and impact.”